This invention relates to a processing tool for a road surface processing machine, having a tool head coupled with a support element, wherein the support element can be exchangeably fastened on a tool holder.
Such a processing tool is known from German Letters Patent 37 01 905.8-09. This known processing tool is also called a shaft cutter. It has a cutter shaft which can be exchangeably inserted into a cutter receiver of a cutter holder. A tool head is formed on the cutter shaft. The tool head is equipped with a hard alloy tip. In operation, the hard alloy tip engages with the road surface and cuts off the road surface, which is required when heavy wear conditions become apparent. But it can also occur that, although no heavy wear conditions are present, a non-skid effect of the road surface is more and more reduced because of the wear caused by tires. This occurs mainly in connection with concrete surfaces wherein cutting the road surface would be inexpedient and inefficient.
It is one object of this invention to provide a processing tool of the type initially mentioned, by which the non-skid properties of a road surface can be efficiently increased.
This object is attained with a tool head coupled by a suspension with the support element, by which it can be adjusted relative to the support element.
When the tool head impacts on the road surface, shifting or shattering of sections of the road surface occurs, without removing large masses of the road surface in the process. This is the result of the tool head yielding with respect to the road surface because of its resilient suspension. This change in the geometry of the road surface alone is sufficient to cause a noticeable improvement in the non-skid properties of the road surface.
In accordance with one preferred embodiment of this invention, the support element has an intermediate piece, which extends between a fastening point of the suspension on the tool head and a fastening point of the suspension on the support element. The intermediate piece has a fixed length between the two fastening points. The tool head can be deflected, at least in the direction of the tool feed, with respect to the support element.
A processing tool, which can be cost-effectively manufactured can, for example, be of such a nature, that the suspension has an element of low flexural strength.
The low flexural strength element of the suspension can be a wire cable. The wire cable end is soldered into the tool head, made of a hard alloy.
In accordance with another preferred embodiment of this invention, the processing tool can be of such that the suspension has a joint, and the tool head is coupled to one of the two joint elements of the joint by a lever.
If the support element has a round shaft, which is seated in a receiver of the tool holder and is rotatable around an axis of rotation extending in a longitudinal direction of the round shaft, then the tool head wears evenly around its circumference because of its rotation.
Thus, for a dependable fixation in place of the processing tool the round shaft is enclosed at least partially by a clamping sleeve. The clamping sleeve has at least one holding element which projects in a direction toward the round shaft and engages a groove of the round shaft extending around the axis of rotation. The exterior circumference of the clamping sleeve is clampingly held on the interior circumference of the receiver of the tool holder.